Bibliogr. p. 329-355. Notes bibliogr. Index

It has often been asserted that Greek civilization underwent a transition from myth to reason. But what does such an assertion mean ? And how much truth is there in it ? Were the Greeks special in having evolved 'our' sort of reason, or is that a mirage ? In this book, some of the world's leading experts on ancient Greek myth, religion, philosophy, and history reconsider these fundamental issues. Among the problems they explore are : the history of the Mythos/Logos opposition ; myth and reason in practice ; logic(s) of myth ; intersections involving myth/philosophy, myth/history; myth/ethnography, and myth/technology. Some contributors are more sceptical than others about whether the myth/reason polarity has any future as a tool for the understanding of Greek society-or any society. But what they all agree on is that a reconsideration of the Greek case can help us to clarify much broader debates, for example the debate about the cross-cultural viability (or not) of concepts of myth and reason/rationality. This wide-ranging but coherent exploration of a theme should prove of value to scholars and graduate students in the fields of Hellenic studies, ancient philosophy, ancient history, anthropology, and sociology.
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